Posts Tagged ‘Flights’

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Winter Sun Flights From the UK

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

With the recent cold spell lasting what seemed several weeks, many residents in the UK would have been looking at the daily temperatures and yearning for something warmer. The early weeks of January are usually the busiest time of the year for holiday bookings. With the festive season now over, thoughts turn to holidays and the volume of travel advertising trying to attract our attention increases to new levels.
For many who take just one holiday every year, decisions will be made about where to spend the main summer break, but for those lucky enough to afford the time and cost of more than one holiday, an additional winter sun break will provide an attractive change from the freezing weather we have experienced in the UK recently. There are many alternative destinations providing warmer climates than the UK and to show the options available I’ll look at three resorts than are located just a two hour flight, a four hour flight and a six hour flight from the UK.
For someone wishing to fly for just two hours then the Balearic Islands of Spain provide the nearest location for a warmer winter break. Daytime temperatures can reach 15 degrees Celsius in January and February which is very mild in comparison to UK temperatures at that time of year. Not exactly hot but certainly more pleasant than staying at home and the traveller has the choice of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza a destination. While heat may not be guaranteed, sunshine almost certainly is, as Majorca typically records over 300 days of sunshine every year. Rain is also unlikely to be a problem with islands like Majorca receiving the heaviest falls between September and November.
Stay on a flight for a little longer and four hours travel will allow someone to reach the Canaries, a group of islands belonging to Spain yet situated just 100 kilometers off the North African coast. Here average daytime temperatures in February are a warm 19 degrees Celsius and holidaymakers can expect an average of 7 hours sunshine every day. Not only will the weather prove pleasant, but the resorts of the Canaries are used to winter travelers and have far more going on than those of the Balearics. The reason for these warm conditions result from the Islands’ location – Tenerife is on the same latitude as Florida – and also the mountainous areas of islands like Tenerife which prevent the moist Trade Winds from reaching southern parts of the island.
A four hour flight will also take the UK traveler to the Mediterranean island, where 6 hours sunshine per day will await along with average daytime temperatures in January and February of 12 degrees Celsius. Cyprus is experiencing a resurgence of popularity with resorts such as Paphos and Larnaca attracting many visitors. The Larnaca – Dhekelia Bay boasts one of the longest beaches in Europe and has received blue flag awards for cleanliness. The airport at Larnaca is only 9 kilometers from the resorts however over-sea flight paths reduce aircraft noise to a minimum.
Finally the more determined winter sun seeker may opt for a six hour flight and venture as far as the The Gambia, which although situated on the west coast of Africa is on the same time zone as he UK . Here the average daytime temperature during December to February is a very pleasant 24 degrees Celsius and rain is highly unlikely. Gambia has a very pronounced rainy season between July and September. Outside of these months the country experiences a long dry season which makes it particularly attractive to UK winter holidaymakers. The small city of Banjul is the capital and is also home to the airport which brings in flights from numerous northern European countries. Tourism is important to the country and recent investment has seen dramatic improvements to the airport and surrounding road infrastructure. If sitting in the sun on a beach by the sea in January is what you desire, then Gambia could well be your ideal destination.

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Spain Spending More To Attract 2007 Visitors

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Ever since the 1960’s, when overseas travel became available to the masses, Spain and her islands have consistently been the favourite destination for Britons, Germans, Swedes and other Europeans.
Even when longer haul destinations in Europe like Cyprus, Malta and Greece became possible, and later holidays in Florida and even more recently Australia became economically viable for more people, Spain has maintained her popularity.
Part of the appeal of Spain is that it is just a short flight away from the UK, with Majorca and Menorca, two of the popular Spanish islands, taking under two hours from London’s Gatwick Airport. Fares have dropped dramatically in recent years with the advent of low cost airlines flying to Mallorca, Menorca and mainland Spain, making the possibility of more than one visit a year to the island by many tourists a reality.
Such was the appeal of Spain and the opportunity to holiday abroad in the 1960’s and 70’s parts of Spain saw a rapid hotel and holiday complex building programme, with some areas changing from quiet coastal villages to concrete jungles, but despite this the tourists still flocked in, later to consider other areas that hadn’t been developed as much. Emerging holiday destinations view the development of Spain in the early days of mass tourism with caution, and Spain itself has introduced tougher building and planning regulations to ensure their initial errors aren’t repeated by developers ever anxious to build a new hotel complex.
New competition from Eastern European countries is a threat to Spain’s holiday market dominance, and the decision has been made to spend some money on advertising the Balearics in particular to the British and German markets.
The three Balearic Islands of Menorca, Majorca and Ibiza might be close to each other, but they are all different in character and the type of tourist they typically attract, making the advertising campaign necessarily a diverse one to reach the different markets for the three different Balearic islands. A surprise for example is that the amount of time spent on Ibiza by each tourist is longer than on Menorca and Majorca – destroying the myth that Ibiza is primarily for long weekends or short trips for a couple of nights in the club.
But one thing does bind the three islands – the number of tourists from Germany, UK, and the Spanish mainland – which together make up over 80 per cent of their visitors.
The UK advertising campaign for Majorca includes a team distributing information at London’s Victoria Station. Trains from Victoria run several times an hour to London’s Gatwick Airport, allowing easy access to Mallorca for Londoners.
One spin-off from sustained tourism in Spain has been the number of Brits and Germans moving to the country and her islands, bringing with them the money they have made from selling their businesses and homes plus a pension, boosting the local economies further.
And the tourists who decide to call Spain home are becoming more involved with their new local governments and politics. Spain seems to be the new frontier for many weary inhabitants of the crowded towns and cities in the UK and Germany. While this trend bodes well for the Spanish economy, no one yet knows what sort of impact the influx of expatriates will do for Spain’s political destiny.
Today, in 2007, nearly one million former British citizens call Spain their new home, and nearly a quarter of those are eligible to vote in Spanish elections. While they are allowed to vote on national issues, they are still curtailed from voting in local or regional elections, but that may change in the near future as more immigrants arrive on the sun-soaked sands of islands like Majorca, where British voting trends have decided the results of some elections already.
The San Fulgencio area, located in the Alicante province of Spain, currently heads the lead in foreigners calling Spain home now, with three quarters of them being British. Majorca and Menorca continue to be the most popular destinations for many Britains looking for new homes, new horizons and new destinies, and only time will tell what this means overall for Spaniards.
For Spain, spending money on attracting tourists doesn’t just pay off with a two week holiday and spending spree – in many cases it’s a case of a much bigger prize as the tourists buy a home and convert from being a holiday maker to a full time resident.

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Spanish Property 2008 Could Cost Less

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

So many British people have bought a property in regions of Spain that it is now it is quite possible to live there quite comfortably without having to learn the language.
While many Brits do learn Spanish and socialise with locals who haven’t moved away because of the high property prices, many of the bars and restaurants and other businesses are British owned.
Helping to create the enclaves within their own country some Spaniards have sold their property to move to more traditional – and less expensive – areas, while young Spanish people have had no choice but to leave their traditional family villages and towns as property prices have been too high for many.
And while the British who have moved to Spain over the last twenty years have seen their investments rise in value, consistently above the price of inflation, they could been in for an unpleasant surprise with signs that the housing market in Spain is weak, and prices could soon drop.
So spectacular have the price rises been over the last ten years that many Spanish homes on the Costas have doubled and more in value.
But developers have been busy, building hundreds of thousands of new homes, and this is leading to oversupply. 2006 saw 800,000 new home starts, more than Italy, Germany and France put together – a staggering amount by any European country’s standards.
Often developers are offering low cost inspection trips to potential property buyers, and the buyers don’t even get to see re-sale properties during their house hunting trips.
With many apartments and houses on a mortgage, interest rate rises push more and more people to selling, especially for second homes when the lettings no longer cover the mortgages. Since Spain joined the Euro, she has lost control over setting her interest rate, and all those in the Eurozone have had several rises in the last twelve months.
The Spanish island of Majorca reflects well the precarious position many second home and full time residents are facing should interest rates rise again across Europe.
Already many locals are finding it increasingly difficult to get on the property ladder, with prices having risen consistently in recent years, with their best hope being a slow down or even drop in Majorca property prices.
A survey recently found that over 90 per cent of Majorca’s domestic population were worried about the number of overseas people buying property on the island.
One travel guide for Majorca isn’t surprised at the local opinion.
‘It’s difficult for local people, especially when they are in their twenties and thirties and working with decent salaries, to see villas which are hardly used when they often can’t even get a good size apartment in the areas they want, close to family or work.’ They say, referring to holiday homes that are used a few weeks or even long weekiends a year, and standing empty the rest of the time.
‘They see these properties as some of the cause of high prices, and they cannot see where it is going to end,’ they conclude.
‘The problem with building a way out of the housing crises, by constructing dozens of new apartment buildings and villa complexes is that it spoils the whole nature of Majorca, and it’s a catch 22 because while locals do want to buy a house, they don’t want it at the expense of the island.’
Official figures for Majorca holidays this year indicate an increase in tourist numbers by between five and seven per cent. And it is from the pool of holidaymakers where property sales often happen a few months later, as some visitors like the island so much they decide to look into buying an apartment or villa, with some even retiring to the island, or buying a business.
With the increase in visitor numbers, property demand should in theory be high for 2007 overall, but time will tell if the higer interst rates see a drop in prices in Spain and Mallorca.

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High Demand for Cheap European Airfare Increases Prices

Friday, November 27th, 2009

There is currently a high demand for air travel availability between the Mediterranean and the UK and vice versa. There is also an increase in people spending their holiday relaxing in the sun in places like Majorca and Menorca.
Flights from the Mediterranean to London have reportedly been sold out on several occasions. The demand for these bookings required companies like EasyJet to raise their prices and remain competitive with British airways and other traditional carriers.
EasyJet was founded on the principles of providing low cost flights for everyday people to make travelling abroad affordable. EasyJet has been known as a budget airline and until recently they have been able to keep their costs low for customers.
Affordable Airline Prices Raised Demand for Airline Tickets
In effect, EasyJet achieved their goal and made traveling on holiday to hotspots like Majorca and Menorca a reality for many people. The number of people traveling back and forth between such hotspots in the Mediterranean and cities within Europe has increased in recent years.
Unfortunately, achieving that goal is one of the reasons that EasyJet is being forced to raise their airfare prices for tickets to and from the Mediterranean. With flights being sold out and other airlines that British Airways selling tickets at full price, EasyJet was unable to remain a competitor with its notoriously low prices.
Low-Cost Flights to Majorca
Majorca and Menorca are just two of the hotspots that Europeans are visiting more often on holiday. Low-cost flights have made traveling to Majorca a reality for people who otherwise would not have dreamed of spending their holidays there. Majorca is getting more attention these days as people prefer to spend their holidays unwinding on the beach and soaking up the sun.
What people usually realize, however, is that Majorca is about much more than sand and sun. Flights landing in Majorca will arrive at the Palma de Mallorca airport, just 8 km east of Palma. Palma and surrounding areas are rich with cultural and historical sites, activities and attractions. There is plenty to do for traveler who wants more than a tan for a souvenir of their holiday in Majorca.
Attractions in Majorca
If beaches are your idea of the perfect vacation, then there are more than 80 beaches from which to take your pick. You may choose from quiet remote settings to crowded yet beautiful sandy beaches with clean blue water.
Palma itself is a very popular holiday destination. The Cathedral in Palma is a very popular site to see with its impressive structure. It attracts visitors from all over Majorca.
More active travelers may find exploring the limestone caves of Majorca more their style. Aside from curiosity, another reason to visit the caves is to escape the hot sun of Majorca. You can easily make a day of it; hiking and climbing to reach Germanic rock to enjoy the scenic view out over the sea.
For those on holiday with their families, Marineland offers tropical fish, penguin, sharks, a parrot show, birds, reptile, and most popular, the dolphin and sea lion shows.
Increase in Demand Means an Increase in Prices
Though there has been a large increase in people taking their holiday in Majorca, a high demand for cheap airline tickets is causing an increase in prices. For Majorcan residents who depend on tourism, the hope is that even if the prices are raised, visitors will continue to flood the Mediterranean area.

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Tennis Star Borg To Stay In Majorca

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

You may remember Bjorn Borg as the famous Wimbledon legend. Born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1956, he was the youngest player to have so much success in the sport of tennis. His first win came at the ripe age of 17. He quickly turned into a heartthrob and mesmerized fans with his calm, reserved, and charismatic personality, which also enabled him to make money from publicity events.
Setting a Winning Record
Borg is a former number-one tennis player who won five Wimbledons in a row (1976-1980) and six French Opens. He won 11 Grand Slam singles and was the youngest tennis player to win the Davis Cup match, the Italian Open, and the French Open. He was the only player to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year, and his record remains unshattered to this day. The only thing he couldn’t seem to win was the U.S. Open, despite numerous tries.
Knowing When to Quit
Borg was a player of strength and endurance. After nine years on the tennis scene, Borg threw in the towel. Being defeated by John McEnroe in the 1981 final was enough to send him packing. He left when he was still at the top of his game, and one loss shouldn’t have affected that. But this wasnn’t the last time the public would see Bjorn Borg. He later returned to the tennis scene for a brief stint in 1991 only to found out that he could not compete with the new players and their graphite rackets. He was still fond of using his famous wood racket.
Borg Became a Trend-Setter
Borg had an unusual style about him, both on the court and off. He wasn’t afraid to do his own thing or use techniques that worked for him. Unintentionally, he was setting fashion standards. If he wore a headband to keep the sweat off his face and his hair off his neck, it soon became the thing to do and you would see people everywhere wearing headbands.
A New Calling
Borg used this popularity to his advantage by introducing his own line of clothing. He uses his own unique style to create clothes to appeal to his fans. To push sales of his clothing line further, he would only wear clothes with his name on the label.
Borg’s Family Life
Borg dreamed of a family life he could never have. He married and divorced twice, leaving him in financial trouble. Each ex-wife walked out of the marriage with a house. Each of them also gave him children, but he was never able to fully enjoy them as he wanted to. The media and other groups gave them a hard time over the years, and he rarely sees them anymore.
The Rise and Fall of an Empire
When he dreamed of his family, he bought a large piece of property in Mallorca, Spain. It was eight spots that he bought and transformed into a small community for himself, his family, security guards, and guests. He restored an old section and built up around it until he had the stone villa just the way he wanted it, including farm animals, stables, a pool a spa, a sauna, a fitness room, and tennis courts.
Now that his dream of the perfect family life has been shattered, he is ready to sell the property and downsize to a smaller house in Mallorca.

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Late Boost For 2007 Majorca Holidays

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Majorca has scored a stunning success this year by being the British holidaymakers island of choice for their annual getaway, and has now capped a successful summer by being top destination for the autumn too.
One travel site has reported that Majorca, along with Spain’s Costa del Sol, are the most heavily booked for the autumn period in Europe, with New York being the top long haul destination for British tourists.
Other areas of Spain are also enjoying an autumn renaissance – notably the Costa Blanca and the Canary Island of Tenerife. Surprisingly Malta is starting to compete with the traditional British getaway favourites.
Malta has enjoyed quite a turn around in her fortunes over the last eighteen months since the Maltese authorities reluctantly agreed to allow low cost airlines to fly to the Mediterranean island. The tourist situation for Malta was so poor at one stage that a British holiday company were seriously considering dropping it from their main brochures, and if others had followed Malta would have been relegated as a mainstream vacation destination to one of niche status for her culture, history, and diving holidays.
Low cost airlines have engineered Malta away from tourist disaster to a far healthier position for 2007, and some 300,000 visitors could be delivered to the island for the 2008 season, as well as giving it an autumn boost this year.
But for all the success of one island in the Mediterranean that Malta has enjoyed in 2007 after turning around an awful 2006, it is really the Spanish island of Majorca that has done best for 2007, consistently attracting tourists throughout the summer, and extending it to the autumn time – good news for the hotel and holiday trade on the island as they see the months of profitabilty extend beyond the traditional ones.
Mallorca as an island has been promoting itself to the UK market by including a team distributing information at London’s Victoria Station. Trains from Victoria run several times an hour to London’s Gatwick Airport, allowing easy access to Mallorca for Londoners.
The Balearic Islands of which Mallorca is part consist of three islands, as well as Malloca there is Menorca (the smallest island)and and Ibiza. Menorca has a season that traditionally is at its peak early May to end September, but is now trying to extend that from mid April to mid October.
As part of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca has welcomed many visitors back to live full time on the island. Menorca property has proved popular too, for those looking for a gentler pace of life than big sister Mallorca.
Property prices in Mallorca are similar to Menorca property, with a range of apartments and villas in both rural and town locations, and with twenty golf courses plenty of golf course developments too on Mallorca.
Menorca has just the one golf course, recently extended to eighteen holes, and is located in Son Parc, which has a choice of hotels, apartments and villas for holiday makers.
The cost of flying to Mallorca has come down in recent years from most European countries due to low cost airlines, especially in the island’s core tourist areas of the United Kingdom and Germany, and last year easyJet started direct flights from London’s Gatwick Airport to the sister island of Menorca, as well as serving Mallorca itself.
Despite competition from other destinations, Mallorca looks set to remain a favourite holiday spot for both the summer and autumn.

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Majorca Holidays End 2007 On A High

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Popular Majorca has scored a stunning success this year by being the British holidaymakers island of choice for their annual getaway, and has now capped a successful summer by being top destination for the autumn season too.
One travel site has reported that Majorca, along with Spain’s Costa del Sol, are the most heavily booked for the autumn period in Europe, with New York being the top long haul destination for British tourists.
Other areas of Spain are also enjoying an autumn renaissance – notably the Costa Blanca and the Canary Island of Tenerife. Surprisingly Malta is starting to compete with the traditional British getaway favourites.
Malta has enjoyed quite a turn around in her fortunes over the last eighteen months since the Maltese authorities reluctantly agreed to allow low cost airlines to fly to the Mediterranean island. The tourist situation for Malta was so poor at one stage that a British holiday company were seriously considering dropping it from their main brochures, and if others had followed Malta would have been relegated as a mainstream vacation destination to one of niche status for her culture, history, and diving holidays.
Low cost airlines have engineered Malta away from tourist disaster to a far healthier position for 2007, and some 300,000 visitors could be delivered to the island for the 2008 season, as well as giving it an autumn boost this year.
But for all the success of one island in the Mediterranean that Malta has enjoyed in 2007 after turning around an awful 2006, it is really the Spanish island of Majorca that has done best for 2007, consistently attracting tourists throughout the summer, and extending it to the autumn time – good news for the hotel and holiday trade on the island as they see the months of profitabilty extend beyond the traditional ones.
Mallorca as an island has been promoting itself to the UK market by including a team distributing information at London’s Victoria Station. Trains from Victoria run several times an hour to London’s Gatwick Airport, allowing easy access to Mallorca for Londoners.
The Balearic Islands of which Mallorca is part consist of three islands, as well as Malloca there is Menorca (the smallest island)and and Ibiza. Menorca has a season that traditionally is at its peak early May to end September, but is now trying to extend that from mid April to mid October.
As part of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca has welcomed many visitors back to live full time on the island. Menorca property has proved popular too, for those looking for a gentler pace of life than big sister Mallorca.
Property prices in Mallorca are similar to Menorca property, with a range of apartments and villas in both rural and town locations, and with twenty golf courses plenty of golf course developments too on Mallorca.
Menorca has just the one golf course, recently extended to eighteen holes, and is located in Son Parc, which has a choice of hotels, apartments and villas for holiday makers.
The cost of flying to Mallorca has come down in recent years from most European countries due to low cost airlines, especially in the island’s core tourist areas of the United Kingdom and Germany, and last year easyJet started direct flights from London’s Gatwick Airport to the sister island of Menorca, as well as serving Mallorca itself.
Despite competition from other destinations, Mallorca looks set to remain a favourite holiday spot for both this year and into 2008.

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Majorca Real Estate on Brink of 2007 Price Drop

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Mallorca real estate has been popular for several decades now, with many Europeans who have holidayed on the Spanish island deciding to buy a second home for holidays, a business, or for retirement.

Prices have risen on the island as buyers – mainly British and German – have moved in, but there are mixed signals coming from the property and tourist sectors, which could see a freeze in Majorca property inflation, and possibly even a dip in prices in the near future.

Official figures for Majorca holidays this year indicate an increase in tourist numbers by between five and seven per cent. And it is from the pool of holidaymakers where property sales often happen a few months later, as some visitors like the island so much they decide to look into buying an apartment or villa, with some even retiring to the island, or buying a business.

With the increase in visitor numbers, property demand should in theory be good.

Cheap Mallorca flights have been running for some years now, and even with increased air tax in the UK, Mallorca is easily accessible from more than a dozen airports in the UK for property owners and tourists alike, with a flight time of under two hours, allowing a market for weekend homes for overseas property buyers.

Although one of the earliest package holiday destinations with companies like Thomas Cook, Mallorca has had new competition in recent years from the former Soviet Bloc countries in Eastern Europe, that are now able to offer cheap holidays to the British market, and for the property market countries like Croatia and Bulgaria have been able to offer apartments and villas at a fraction of the price Majorca can offer.

In response, the island has fought back showing it’s not just the Mallorca weather that attracts property buyers, but a well established market with the infrastructure in place to protect overseas investors money.

Any slow down or possible reversal of property prices could be welcomed by the local Majorca population.

They have seen the price of property in Majorca escalate, and many have been priced out of buying their own home.

This has led to some protests, with a demonstration against plans for more development in Mallorca being held earlier in the year, with the belief that developers will destroy what is left of Majorca’s open spaces, and rendering the map of Mallorca unrecognisable in years to come.

With encouraging tourist figures, Mallorca hasn’t been resting on her laurels. This summer’s SuperCup yachting event has seen the appointed of an experenced race organiser, in an attempt to make the event more high profile.

Similarly, neighbouring island Minorca is hosting a Classic Yachts weekend, with entrants expected from across Europe, with the event boosting occupancy for Majorca hotels.

Of the three Balearic Islands, Ibiza comes top for spending per tourist according to official recent statistics, reaching nearly a hundred Euros a day per tourist, with Majorca second, and Menorca third.

Current prices for property in Mallorca include brand new 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartments in Puerto Pollensa at 285,000 Euros, a country house with its own pool at 1,500,000 Euros, and a three bedroom three bathroom villa with its own pool at 900,000.

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Majorca Hotels Win Quality Awards

Friday, October 30th, 2009

No less than 3 hotels in Majorca have received Excellence and Leisure Nominations and Awards, further proving that the popular Spanish island is the perfect holiday destination year round.
Winter holidays in Majorca are more peaceful and relaxing than their summertime counterparts. With winter temperatures often 15 degrees Celsius (nearly 60 degrees Fahrenheit), even wintertime walks on Mallorca’s white sand beaches can be amazing.
The Hotel Aimia in Puerto Soller on the northwest coast of Majorca received a nomination as one of four contenders in the Most Excellent European Value for Money Award.
Many of the Aimia Hotel’s rooms face the Puerto de Soller and offer breathtaking views of Majorca’s white sand beaches. Nearby Port De Soller is the only commercial seaport in the Serra De Tramuntana.
Porto Petro Beach Resort Hotel, opened three years ago in 2005, is neatly tucked into two beautiful, sandy coves along a half mile stretch of Mediterranean coastline in Porto Petro. This 300 room waterfront resort was nominated for the Most Excellent European Value for Money Award.
Porto Petro Beach Resort offers the Blaudi Club for Kids. Kids ages 2 to 17 can play all day in age-appropriate playgroups, play in the pool and other sports in an area especially designed with kids in mind.
In nearby Lake Martel, the Caves of Drach offer visitors the opportunity to take boat rides or enjoy classical concerts in one of the inside chambers of the cave. Lake Martel is one of the world’s largest underground lakes.
Another one of the hotels in Majorca, La Residencia, received second place in Best Leisure Hotels in Europe, Asia Minor and the Russian Federation via the Conde Nast Traveller Magazine. In addition, La Residencia also received:
* #34 in the 2007 Conde Nast World’s Top 100 hotels
* #2 Best Hotel in the Travel and Leisure’s 500 Best Hotels in the World
* #4 Best Hotel Spa in Europe in the Conde Nast Traveller’s Best Spas in Europe
* El Olivo Restaurant, La Residencia’s Restaurant, Best Restaurants in Spain in the Restauradores Awards
* Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in the Wine Spectator Awards
La Residencia, set in 30 acres of citrus groves, offers 59 rooms and suites housed in two manor houses dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. The La Residencia hotel, elegantly furnished in Majorca antiques, houses three restaurants including the award winning El Olivo Restaurant.
Majorca has been a major summer holiday destination for several years.
Many people don’t realize the magnificent deals to be taken advantage of during the winter months. Winter visitors can stay at the same beautiful, award-winning hotels and resorts for a fraction of the summer price.
Winter time is also the season when you can enjoy newly ripened citrus fruit from the local groves. Holiday packages can be booked for as little as 325 euros in the off peak seasons.
Many people prefer the slower paced winter holidays to the hustle and bustle of the busy summer holiday season.
Temperatures in the winter season range from 6 degrees Celsius (42 degrees Fahrenheit) to 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit). These mild temperatures help make Majorca the perfect wintertime destination for those who enjoy cooler temperatures and mild winter weather, so if you’re planning a New Year or winter holiday – think of Majorca and just how good the hotels in Majorca are!

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Country Holidays In Majorca

Monday, October 26th, 2009

The Mediterranean island of Majorca has been a popular destination for holiday-makers since it began its jet-age tourism efforts in the 1960’s.
The warm temperatures, clear waters and sunny beaches have attracted nearly nine million visitors per year, most of which are from the United Kingdom.
Majorca is not just about traditional relaxing on the beach vacations anymore, though. Rural holidays are on the rise in Majorca. Holiday-makers are eager to get away from the crowded beaches and overpopulated tourist areas on the island.
Rural holidays in Majorca are becoming popular with the British because it’s a nice way to relax without battling overcrowded areas for a nice spot on the beach. The British can get cheap flights to Majorca and the rural environment offers a nice change from the usual fun in the sun trips.
Holiday makers are able to get a better feel for the heritage and agriculture of the island and how the island natives were once able to be self-sufficient.
Majorca’s economic base featured farming, livestock and agriculture before the 1960’s. Before it became dependent upon tourism, Majorca prided itself on being able to take care of itself without outside influence.
The environment’s change – much due to mass tourism – has made it hard to farm or raise livestock on the island. Limited water supplies make it difficult to maintain any kind of crop. The sparse amount of agriculture that is still done in Majorca is in an effort to keep up with the demand from tourists.
Tourists have traditionally visited the outskirts of the island of Majorca where they can take advantage of the beautiful scenery, the beaches and water sports.
Majorca has been known for its beach areas and relaxing environment. It is now also becoming known as a rural destination for holidaymakers. Visitors can enjoy staying in self-service rooms or full-service hotels, depending on their budget.
Many appreciate the beauty of Majorca simply by visiting the traditional beach areas. If you’re looking for a way to enjoy the sunny island without battling for a spot on the beach with the sun seekers, then a rural holiday to Majorca may be just what you’re looking for.
By visiting the interior of the island, tourists will see the island’s true history and be able to sample farm life. Many older farm homes are transformed into bed and breakfast type rooms where families and couples can stay while on holiday.
Agro tourism is a growing concept. Holiday-makers enjoy the countryside and self catering accommodations like villas, cottages, apartments and fincas. Located in charming villages, these living quarters offer character in a picturesque environment that the heavily occupied outskirts of the island can’t.
There are even rural four-star hotels with spas on the interior of the island that are perfect for families on holiday. These areas are family-friendly and they allow people to get back to basics with activities like bird watching, golf and harvesting. Scenic train tours are also available to view these rural areas of Mallorca.
A side benefit from visitors entering the interior of the island is that it has regenerated Mallorca’s farms and country land. It is bringing life back into the lands that had been forgotten since the 60s when it became a popular tourist spot, and farmers are beginning to realise that tourism can be good news for the land as well as bad when planned well.

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